Survival Instinct
by Macharius
Summary: Love, betrayal, courage, revenge, fear...survival. Follow the escape of Martin Thompson and his colleges, and the hunt of the HECU fireteam sent into the doomed Black Mesa Research Facility.
1. grabbing the bull by the horns

"Hey its macharius here. I was inspired to write this fan fic after seeing the great pieces under the half life section- super-chocolate-bear's black mesa incident and blind's shepards epic to name but a few.

I do not own half life it belongs to VALVe software as do all characters except for the few I devise. Eg. Martin and Sarah.

Please read and review and enjoy- thankyou

CHAPTER ONE – GRABBING THE BULL BY THE HORNS

"HEY! Bluestuff – open that door quickly before I'm late"

Martin looked over at the flustered scientist. He tried to make himself intimidating and it must have worked because the scientist hastily added a "please" to his sentence and stopped glaring.

"Security clearance sir," Martin said completely disinterested.

It was Monday morning and even though he was working in probably the most secret government facility in America, he was tired and bored. Martin wouldn't be one to say he hated his job but he knew that he could have chosen a better career path.

The scientist removed his pass from his lab coat and handed it to Martin through the small hole in the bottom of the glass. Martin briefly looked it over. The egghead's name was Waters. That was all he needed.

He scanned the tag and it registered. He then handed back the tag and leaned over to a switch on the opposite wall of his small 'personal workspace' as his section manager had called it, what an ass.

He flicked it and the airlock doors opened. The scientist, Waters was obviously pissed at how he was delayed. He gave his best attempt at a dirty look towards Martin as he nearly fell over himself to get in the doorway Martin relaxed back in his chair.

_So this is my life_ ,he thought in boredom, he had been working at the Black Mesa research facility as a security officer for about two years now and he knew that he wasn't about to be promoted any further. He had worked had to carve out a niche for himself but he had fallen short of it.

Now he was assigned to guarding a switch that lead to a small lab that he had never seen the inside of, he didn't have high enough security clearance, level 3 was good but not that good. Black Mesa was full of labs like this, old areas from back in the 50's that were probably completely dangerous, well compared to the newer areas like sectors C and F.

He had a friend in sector C ( the anomalous materials lab); David Castles, who non-stop would boast about how amazing it is and how nice the staff are, except for one doctor Arnie Magnusson that every one was afraid of . Not that the security force and science team ever did get really get along together. There was a huge rift between them that only a few individuals had bridged.

He only knew the name of sector F – it was the lambda complex, and only the top of the Black Mesa foodchain were allowed in there.

Martin's bored blue eyes surveyed his personal workspace. A small door behind him

Lead out to the tram platform complete with waiting automated tram. A faded monitor screen above him displayed the tram times and which were inbound and outbound.

Some propaganda poster with the Black Mesa logo- a black mesa silhouetted against a white sky and underneath it the words "Working to build a better tomorrow for all mankind" Hung beside the switch, put there by its previous occupant who obviously thought very highly of black mesa, at least he got out of this dump.

That sentence alone made Martin want to tear it off the wall. He really hated posters like that and unfortunately – they were every where in the facility.

He glanced at his wristwatch, it was only ten a.m. His section manager was right that he had a long shift ahead of him- he wouldn't be off until nine this evening. However he needed the extra pay because Black Mesa wasn't particularly generous to give him enough to both look after his wife and kid as well as him covering his bills in the bar every night on a normal weeks salary.

Come to think of it, most off the security division got wasted each night; it was a necessity after a gruelling day of hell where they were treated like garbage by scientists, and, when they were feeling brave, the technicians and maintenance crews. On occasion a fight between the two groups would break out, often ending with the suspension of an officer and a trip to the infirmary for a scientist.

No one had messed with Martin, yet.

Martin scratched his chin, he needed to shave, a fierce stubble was growing. While he fidgeted with his stubble the tram at the station pulled out as another arrived. Martin quickly sat up straight, his helmet emitting a resonating clanging noise as it hit off the monitor.

Martin hissed in pain as the helmet slammed back on his head giving him a headache, some shift this was turning out to be. The door to the tram opened and a rather pathetic looking security guard stepped out looking amazingly depressed.

The guard's helmet seemed to squeeze his head so much the guy looked like he was permanently angry due to the vein throbbing viciously above his brow. He dragged himself over to Martin's both.

"Martin Thompson?" He asked completely bored.

"Yeah, that's me"

"I'm your replacement, Quentin Jones"

Panic set in, Martin frantically wracked his brain, a replacement_? Were they promoting him, no, _he corrected himself, they wanted him gone, and he had crossed the section manager for the last time.

_Oh man I am in serious shit now__, Sarah is goin to skin me alive._

Unless he thought of something fast. Maybe he could plead with the section manager or administrator to…

"You okay buddy?"

Quentin seemed concerned at the silence that lasted for several long seconds and how the colour had drained from his colleagues face.

"What?"

"Nevermind, chief wants you to gather your stuff and report to the Central Security hub, he wants to talk with you"

Martin swallowed hard.

"Any idea what it's about?"

The security guard shrugged

"Hell if I know, good look buddy, I can give you a hand with your stuff if you…"

"No thanks, I'll be goin"

Slightly glad to be leaving his "Personal workspace" Martin immediately leaped out of the office and bounded along to the tram. Quentin stared surprised after him and yelled

"WAIT, YOUR STUFF!"

The tram door slowed his progress slightly as it wheezed open. Martin threw himself onto one of the seats on the tram and stared out the window as the bewildered Quentin moved into his knew Office, the poor bastard.

The tram trudged along the tracks; it would bring Martin to the central transit hub from where he would get a tram to the surface and his dormitory where he could break the news to Sarah, and get the hell out of there quick enough to get to see the chief and give her time to cool off.

He had decided that grabbing the bull by the horns was the best way to do it.

Perfect, well as far as getting fired from your job and telling your wife that your future together is screwed it was perfect.

He hoped,

Otherwise there was a family plot waiting for him back in Seattle.

The angelic although completely unnecessary voice that emerged from the trams speakers informed him that he had arrived at the area 9 central transit hub.

The hub always amazed Martin simply because of its sheer scale and the amount of employees that journeyed through it each day.

Martin breathed heavily and moved towards the tram that would bring him to his dormitory on surface area 8. He scanned his transit system pass which allowed him to pass onto the tram. It was empty except for one sweet sleeked off duty scientist.

_Great_, martin thought to himself, _more torture before this hell hole will leave me alone._

What creeped out Martin though was the fact that the scientist seemed happy to see him.

"Oh good, please tell me you're here to fix the air conditioning system, as you can see I am sweltering in this heat"

Martin bit his lip; this idiot wanted a security officer to fix a trams air conditioner, God, and scientists were supposed to be smart.

"Um…no"

The scientists smile faded.

"Oh fiddlesticks, more oppressing heat then"

Martin took a seat near the front of the tram as it began its journey to the surface because sitting beside the scientist was probably not the smart thing to do. Once the tram was moving Martin realised why the scientist was moaning about the heat.

Even though under his uniform of a Kevlar vest he wore a cotton blue shirt and a black tie, he was, as David would say, sweating his balls off.

In the time his tram had left the bowels of the facility and reached the surface Martin felt like a tap. As the tram lazed to a halt Martin prayed to God that Sarah wasn't in one of her Moods.

He stepped of the tram and gave the briefest of nods towards the scientist who seemed to scowl at Martin's quick departure.

The sun glared angrily down on the inhabitants of New Mexico, in particular the employees of Black Mesa that were either stupid enough or unfortunate enough to have to go outside during the day.

Martin sighed aloud- he was both of the above today.

He made his way to the entrance where a chubby security guard stood guard beside an entrance console, or at least would be if he wasn't so busy trying to get a helmet to cover his head from the sun.

Martin only knew him to see and didn't know his name.

"Heya Martin, you not supposed to be on a shift?"

Martin was in no humour to be quizzed by a stranger who somehow knew his name.

"I just need to be let in okay"

That seemed to hurt chubby's feelings. He did as he was told and Martin hurried inside. In the main hall some employees were relaxing; either their shifts hadn't started or they weren't scheduled for today.

Some people called over to him to join them for a drink later but he didn't pay any attention to who they were, he doubted that Black Mesa would want a former employee snooping around their facility.

He instead made a beeline for the hallway that lead to the rooms. He almost knocked over another security guard who was making his way down the corridor.

"Jeez careful, you'll give yourself and me a heart attack!"

Martin looked over and apologised. The guard snorted and continued on his way. The architect of the dorms didn't take into the fact that people may be claustrophobic as the corridors were so cramped that more than one person could barely fit.

Martin stopped in front of the door that read 107. He pulled out his keycard and swiped it off the electronic lock. The door beeped approvingly and the door slid open.

Martin heard humming coming from the kitchen. It was Sarah, and when she hummed something good was happening in her life, usually, definitely, hopefully.

Martin crept into the kitchen. Sarah was there leaning over the sink washing something. Her terracotta ponytail bobbing up and down as she hummed happily to herself.

He cleared his throat and she jumped in surprise. She quickly turned to face him.

"Martin, what are you doing here I thought that you were…"

"I know, I know but there's something I need to tell you"

Her emerald eyes widened in horror.

"You're leaving me!"

Martin gasped aloud in shock and confusion.

"What no! Nothing like that"

She seemed to relax a little but still remained tense.

"I don't think I'm going to like this am I"

Martin shrugged and thought, well this is it.

"I think that they are gona fire me Sarah"

Sarah just laughed; it quickly subsided however, when she saw the deathly serious face that Martin had.

"Martin, what makes you think that"

"Well some guy showed up below and told me that he's my replacement and that the chief wants us to gather our stuff together"

Sarah went quiet for a minute.

"He could be relocating us Martin"

"Sarah, listen, that guy hates my guts- there is no way he wants to promote me, and I guess that he wants me gone for some reason"

More silence, Sarah's eyes began to water at the corners.

"Martin, what the hell did you do, how could you do this to us? We have a son for Christ's sake, where the hell are we going to go?"

Yep, Martin was well and truly screwed.

"Sarah calm down I'll think of something…"

"Think of what Martin? What the hell can you do by yourself?"

It was time for his exit before she hit him with a saucepan.

"Sarah relax, just…just don't worry, I'll be back"

Before she could answer he ducked out of the room and made a dash for the tram station. Sarah was screaming something down the hall after him which caused several passers-by to give worried looks at Martin.

He got to the doorway out of the complex and exiting with chubby glaring angrily after him. Martin got to the platform and pressed the call button beside the railing. Sure enough after about thirty seconds a tram arrived – complete with air conditioning, a godsend after the argument with Sarah and the sweltering New Mexico heat.

The tram sped off to the central transit hub. Martin thought to himself _whoa, déjà vu _as the tram pulled up and he made for another one, the tram that would bring him to the

Security hub and his superior that even the section managers were wary of.

He scanned his pass and clambered aboard. The angelic voice informing him that just for his benefit it was 93 degrees Fahrenheit, as if he didn't know that already from running around in it and sitting in a windowless, slow moving, non air conditioned tram.

The journey was uneventful, scientists occasionally entered and left the tram as it passed various stops. Finally it reached the Black Mesa Central complex; this is where the chief sat, second only to the administrator- doctor Wallace Breen.

The tram chugged to a halt and thoughtfully informed its passengers where they now were stopped. This complex was the Central Command and Communication Center, and the Mechanized Infantry Repair Bay. This part of the facility also housed the large robots used in hazardous environments throughout the facility.

This part of the facility also scared Martin because as well as armed guards there was a garrison of armed marines in the complex. Martin didn't know why the facility had a group of marines – he simply assumed they were going under some sort of special training in the facility.

On occasion they could be seen training or whatever they did on the surface.

Martin dragged himself along the corridors until he came to the reception area for the chief of security's office. A receptionist sat behind a circular table with a huge banner with a Black Mesa security officer behind her. The banner read "we protect the future"

_Jeez it's almost as bad as the one back in my office_.

Former office, he corrected himself.

The receptionist without looking up said in a nasally voice

"Do you have an appointment?"

"Yes, the chief wanted to see me, my name is Martin Thompson"

"Just one minute, if you'll take a seat"

She put her hand to her ear and started a conversation with someone. Martin didn't care. He parked himself on one of the seats and gazed about the room. Some other very nervous looking security guards sat around the room but weren't wearing their customary Kevlar vests and steel helmets.

Martin realized he should probably do the same. He shrugged off the vest and pulled the helmet off. Beside him a stack of magazines and newspapers lay. He picked up a copy of the Black Mesa times. He flicked through it until he came to a page which read;

"Say welcome to our newest employee Gordon Freeman"

The guy looked like a mouse. Even through the black and white photograph Martin could tell that the guy was pale. There was something likeable about the guys face though, maybe it was the complete look of stupidity on his face at getting his photo taken.

"Mr. Thompson, you can go on through now"

And then the panic came again. Martin stepped through the now open doorway into the chief's office. It had a faded green carpet and cold grey walls. A small desk and two chairs either side of it were in the corner of the room.

"I suppose you know why I've called you here"

The deep booming voice emerged from the opposite side of the room. Martin nearly had a heart attack.

"Yes sir, I have an idea"

The man emerged out of the poorly lit corner and faced Martin. Good god he was scarier in person than Martian had remembered from their last encounter. The man was small but non the less very threatening looking. A thin layer of scar tissue ran down the side of his face.

Apparently he was a cop who led one of the most famous drug busts in history. As a result a hit was placed out on him. That's what gave him the huge scar, but the guy who did it ended up far worse. Now he's lying in a city morgue.

"Would you like to take a seat?"

Apprehensive to say yes Martin decided against it.

"Would you like to speak your mind Thompson?"

Martin sighed. He had decided against begging for his job back, he was a man of pride.

"I know that you don't want me working here any longer sir, I'll be gone by this evening along with my family"

The chief seemed taken aback.

"That is actually not what I have in mind Thompson; I am promoting you and moving your family closer to your new workspace"

Now it was Martin's turn to be taken aback.

"I…eh, um, thank you sir, where are we being relocated to?"

The chief leaned against the table, the shadows across his face almost gave him a nightmarish visage.

"Sector C, anomalous materials"


	2. The Long Shift

I do not own the rights to half life or its characters and locations, they belong to the VALVe corporation.

**CHAPTER 2 – THE LONG SHIFT**

Martin groggily rubbed his face. He looked over at the alarm clock – it was squawking so it meant it was time for work…again.

Sarah was still asleep; far away dreaming in her own little world. Martin hit the snooze button on the alarm clock and pulled himself out of the bed. He took a look around his room and sighed.

Martin's new dorm small, dark, cramped and he hated it. At least on the surface he had a window to look at…well nothing but sand and mesas but it bet the hell out of sitting around with a picture of some street somewhere in Eastern Europe.

Sector C wasn't all that bad, it wasn't what Martin was expecting though – David had altered the truth slightly about its grandeur. Sarah had nearly killed him when he told her that he had been promoted after all.

_That was a painful experience._

He went to his closet and pulled on his uniform of his cotton shirt, black tie and blue pants. Before he pulled on his shoes he tiptoed gently over to the snoozing Sarah and kissed her goodbye.

He finally peeked in on Tim who was also sleeping soundly.

He then departed the room closing the door quietly behind him. Nobody was in the corridor down from the dorms. It was 8.30- his shift wasn't until nine.

Martin scratched the back of his neck.

_I have all the time in the world._

Martin wandered into the cafeteria; nobody was present there except for one scientist who was flicking through a copy of the Black Mesa times. Martin got a breakfast for himself and sat next to the scientist.

"Hows a goin"

The scientist looked up. It was Gordon Freeman. The guy really was weedy looking, but he looked friendly.

He smiled and opened his mouth to speak when the intercom interrupted him.

"DOCTOR…FREEMAN…RE...PORT…TO…ANOMALOUS…MATERIALS...LAB"

Freeman's face turned pale. He checked his watch and leapt off his chair and ran out of the cafeteria charging down the door.  
Martin leaned back bemused.

"Yeah umm bye"

Martin grabbed Gordon's Black Mesa times and made for the tram station. Just ahead he could see the pale skinny scientist standing at the front of his tram as it chugged past the security station.

As he strolled along the platform he skimmed through he pages of the newspaper. Apparently some huge scientific test was occurring today in anomalous materials that the whole science team was worked up about.

Martin scanned his card at the door to the tram and the door merrily pinged and opened. Martin took his seat and looked ahead. Area 3 was less that 500 meters ahead yet he had to take the tram due to the chasm that was between the dorms and the hub.

_It was stupid._

No less than he had thought that then the tram had stopped. He exited the tram and entered the Area 3 door which was surprisingly open. Inside a security guard was flicking through a brochure for something.

"Hey"

The guard looked up and his face seemed to light up at the sight of Martin. Martin recognised him as John Lewich, one of the only friends he had made in sector C.

"Martin! How are ya man?"

"Me, ah I'm good – what's the deal with the door?"

"What, oh yeah. I wouldn't open for Calhoun; there's been system crashes and the like all over the facility this morning, like I told Calhoun; it's a wonder this whole place hasn't been shut down"

Martin paused for a minute.

"Does it have anything to do with the experiment this morning John?"

"Hell if I know Martin, the eggheads are really worked up about it though"

"I bet anyway I better begin this shift, gotta pay the bills you know"

As Martin departed John called after him something about getting wasted every night in Lucia's.

Martin went to the locker room and grabbed his uniform of Kevlar and the matching steel helmet. Martin then went to the range and got his standard glock sidearm.

_Not that I'll need it._

Martin proceeded back into the lobby area and checked in for his shift. The section manager he reported to now was actually more of a dick than the last guy and that was saying something.

"Ready for your shift today Thompson"

"Yes sir"

"I apologize but you won't be paid for your overtime this evening either Thompson, something to do with the costs of equipment for this sector. Anyway you're wanted over at Anomalous Materials…well what are you waiting for get goin. "

Martin nodded slowly and regarded the manager with cold eyes before stalking away.

His new position in sector C didn't seem like much of a promotion to Martin; while he didn't have no "personal workspace" to worry about; his pay and hours were simply unfair. He would return home to his family at about 10 and after that shift was usually in no mood to talk to Sarah or play with Tim.

_It wasn't fair._

Martin made his way along the corridors back to the tram station and waited patiently.  
Behind him two scientists were having a thrilling conversation about…well Martin didn't know what.

"I hear the anti-mass spectrometer's safety buffer is 90%, so why are they pushing it above it, is the extra resolution this morning worth it?"

"Now I don't know everything but it's by order of the administrator so I'd worry about my own work if I were you"

"But it's unstable enough as it is, what if…"

"Don't go there – nothing will go wrong, you know that, the administrator himself oversaw certain areas of this!"

Martin didn't like the sound of that, something with a safety buffer being pushed didn't sound too good. He pushed that thought from his mind – he couldn't afford to think like that- anyway he wasn't a scientist who knew about atoms and things like that.

It wasn't his problem.

The tram arrived and Martin sat in on a bench and closed his eyes – trying to catch some precious sleep while it journeyed along the tracks. For some reason the words of the scientists wouldn't leave him though- he was worried bout this experiment even though he knew nothing about it.  
He had a feeling in his gut that something wasn't right.

The tram's automated voice came across the speakers and the tram came to a halt quicker than Martin had hoped and he wearily got to his feet. The security guard that came to open the door of it Martin recognized; it was David.

"Heya Martin, nice to see most people are on time"

The door opened and Martin climbed out.

"Whadoya mean?"

"The new guy, Freeman…arrived here a couple of minutes ago like his head was on fire – didn't even say anything just went straight in"

"Ah well, he seems harmless enough"

"Yeah, apparently he's best friends with Barney…"

"Calhoun?"

"Yeah. Anyway – how'd Sarah take the move?"

"Better than I thought actually, only got hit with a saucepan"

The two security guards laughed.

"Anyway I better get in there"

"Yeah yeah, anyway I'll talk to you later man, have fun I hear you got a long one"

"How'd you know that?"

"Because we're all on fucking long shifts, seriously I haven't been able to go to Lucia's in ages, anyway get going- say hi to Arnie for me"

"Like hell I will- I like living thank you very much"

"That why you married Sarah?"

They laughed again and Martin hurried inside the airlock. The doors opened slowly and Martin made his way down the hallway toward his post, where he guarded the airlock to sector B.

As he passed the ramp down to the lower labs and the test chamber he caught sight of a figure hurrying by in an orange HEV suit. As the figure rushed by a roar came from behind it, down the corridor.

"FREEMAN! I WON'T FORGET THIS FREEMAN! I WONT FORGET AND FORGIVE!"

An angry looking graying scientist hobbled after Freeman. The unforgettable Dr. Arnie Magnusson, and from the sounds of it Freeman had just made an enemy for life.

_Poor Bastard. _

Martin arrived at his workspace and simply stood at the door, barring entrance to anyone who didn't have clearance. A boring job but it was slightly better than the damned personal workspace in sector god-knows-where. He wondered how Quentin Jones was getting on down there actually.

Martin found himself alone with his thoughts for what seemed like an age and again his thoughts once again returned to what he heard the scientists say,

What the hell is an anti-mass spectrometer? Were they in danger if this thing goes?

"Hello?"

Martin shook his head.

"Wha"

A small scientist stood in front of him. A small, plump man with a wiry moustache. The mans lab coat barely fit him and his tie was half way down his torso.

"May I get by please?"

"Security clearance sir?"

"Ah yes"

The scientist fished around in his pockets and produced an I, D tag which he presented to Martin. He looked it over and stood back and opened the door for the scientist.

"Here you go Mr. Rooney"

"Thank you officer."

The scientist entered the glass airlock and the door sealed behind him. The scientist put his thumb to the button which would open the next set of doors. He pushed it and it made a dull sound. The doors remained sealed.

He tried again and again. Finally he looked over at Martin.

"Is this your idea of a funny joke, get me out!"

"Sir – I didn't do anything – the door sealed itself, I dunno what to…"

"WARNING…EXTREME…ELECTRO…MAGNETIC…PULSE…DETECTED…IN...SECTOR…C"

The scientist looked up panic on his face.

"But that's here!"

Before Martin could answer a bolt of energy leapt forward from the airlock buttons. Sparks fell from the lights as they dimmed. Lime colored lightning shot into the room from the air – it seemed to appear and then disappear before it struck the ground.

It was total chaos – the lights dimmed, klaxons wailed and sparks flew. Finally one of the lime beams hit the ground in the airlock in front of the scientist who was cowering on the ground sobbing.

Where the beam had scorched now a small creature lay. It looked like some sort of weird crab-blob thingie. It had four legs as far as Martin could see and it was flesh coloured.

The scientist screamed in horror as the thing turned to face him.

"GET ME OUT OF HERE!!! HELP ME!!! PLEASE HELP…"

Suddenly the crab-thing leapt at the screaming scientist and clamped over his head. He struggled to pull it off but it seemed to be suckling on his head. His face was one of pure terror.

"GET IT OFF ME!!! GET IT OF…MMMPHHH!"

The crab had now completely swallowed the scientists face. Blindly he fell over, his blood dripping down from where the crab had latched onto his head and onto the ground where it was pooling beneath his still struggling body.

Martin shot the glass with his pistol, but the glass dented and refused to break. Martin began to run at the window screaming in frustration and pain as he slammed into it.

Suddenly Martin was hurled backwards by a bolt of the green electricity. He hit the wall hard and collapsed into unconsciousness. As the klaxons wailed they merged with the sounds of the slaughter of the Black Mesa personnel.

*

The first sense Martin got back was smell, the smell of scorched flesh and blood. Slowly he forced himself to open his eyes, the dim light of the chamber made it hard to see. He focused on one thing; the airlock – the scientist was still in there, Martin could roughly make out his figure lying on the ground.

Martin gingerly picked himself up; he had minor scrapes and cuts. Where the lightning had struck him his Kevlar had bubbled and melted away. Martin counted himself lucky to have it.

He slowly made his way to the glass.

"Ssir…are…are you okay?"

The scientist began to move slowly. Something was wrong however, the crab thing was still on his head, and where his chest was now only a gapping hole that clamped open and shut nauseatingly, it looked like a mouth because of the broken ribs sticking out of it like teeth.

"LLik eem"

Marin looked puzzled – this thing tried to communicate with him. It got closer to the glass and began to bang on it.

"LLIK EEM ESAELP!"

"I don't know…I can't understand you!"

Once again the torso mouth pulsed – it looked hungry whatever it was. The Scientist raised his arms, Martin saw that his fingers were now all distorted and twisted, they looked almost like cleavers.

Suddenly the glass doors of the airlock exploded outwards. The former scientist shambled toward Martin mouth clamping open and shut and arms outstretched – almost like a zombie.

"Back off!"

Martin was terrified. He walked backwards and raised his gun.

"Stay back!"

The thing slashed Martin across the torso with its claws. He screamed out in agony and kicked it back. Where it cut him he was bleeding heavily. Out of breath he raised his gun and shot the zombie thing. It continued to advance until he shot it in the head. The bullet hit the crab thing which squealed and flopped of the scientist's body pathetically as it died.

Marin fell back in agony. His vision began to dim. He was dying. Desperately he clawed at the health station mounted on the wall behind him. He couldn't reach it, no matter how hard he tried.

As he gave up he felt something powerful grab him and lift him up so he could reach the station. Its needle pierced the skin on is neck, a brief moment of pain and then soothing cold as morphine and other healing drugs and chemicals flowed through his body.

On his cuts scabs automatically formed to stop the blood flow. Morphine reduced the pain and chemicals increased his white blood cell count to fight infection. He was safe now, he wouldn't die.

He fell back down, unable to support himself. He gazed over at his savior, he couldn't raise his head but he saw the orange and black boots.

_"Freeman"_

As unconsciousness took Martin again he was treated to one more sight, Freeman taking his gun.

O.O - just like you do in the game. Curse you Freeman!


	3. Fear of the dark

I do not own the rights to half life or its characters and locations, they belong to the VALVe corporation.

**CHAPTER 3 - FEAR (of the dark)**

It was dark. Pitch black infact, and his hearing was muffled. It was warm, and a sickly putrid smell assaulted his nostrils.

"Hello?"

He called desperately, hoping for an answer. A deafening silence was all that answered. He had no idea what had happened. He remembered standing above his workspace when the lights had dimmed and klaxons began to ring.

Then he had blacked out.

_I am dead?_

He felt a terrible pain in his stomach, and a pressure on is head, like he was wearing a hat. What made it worse was that he wasn't aware of what was happening, the darkness shrouded everything. Hell he wasn't even sure of what had caused this to happen.

He tried to move his arms but it was useless, the effort drained the energy from him. He lay back, he was confident that he had his back to the wall anyway, and tilted his head toward the ceiling.

"Someone…help me"

***

"Ah Shit"

Quentin yelled aloud as he hit the ground. He had woken up dangling from some wires above his "personal workspace", and had no idea why and how.

He quickly heaved himself up and wiped the dirt off his uniform and looked up at the ceiling; it was completely destroyed, the tiles on the roof were completely seared, and thick ropes of wire snaked down from the hole that was burned.

It was a wonder that Quentin actually hadn't been strangled.

The wires began to spark violently and Quentin took this as his cue to leave. He slowly retreated out of the room, eyes transfixed on the electric wire as it set fire to some papers on his desk which smoked out of existence pathetically.

_That was a little too close._

The tram station wasn't much better, the deck was devastated. Whatever had caused this was big, really big, like an earthquake or something.

He couldn't call for a tram, since the tram track was most probably at the bottom of the huge chasm.

He gulped as he gazed down. He never did like heights. Eventually he turned his attention to the entrance to the labs, the carnivorous door actually looked inviting, the steel doors oddly clean and sterile looking against all the destruction, maybe some of the scientists would know what had happened.

He approached the door, expecting it to open for him like it did for all the scientists. He stopped shy of hitting the steel.

_Wait…__I opened that door for them_.

Cursing his stupidity he made his way back to the security booth; grim determination on his face.

Then he came across the electric wire again.

Said wire was sparking furiously over the switch. Quentin groaned loudly and wracked his brain for someway to get past it and to the switch.

There was nothing in the vicinity that would help him without the wire zapping him. Then he figured it out.

His boots were rubber on the soles.

Gingerly he removed his boots and placed his arms into them. Cautiously he approached the wire and closed his eyes as he reached out, expecting the immanent shock and burning.

Nothing happened.

He opened his eyes in delight and gently moved the wire. It seemed like a snake, spitting violently at him. He manoeuvred it away and flicked the switch. The doors outside opened as required.

_Success!_

He dashed out of the cubicle joyously to the airlock to the lab. The doors hadn't opened fully, which was curious, but he didn't care.

He crawled through the opening and pressed the button to seal it behind him. Now he would find out what was happening.

The air hissed out of the airlock as the doors in front of him into the actual labs themselves opened. Darkness flooded into the airlock blinding him.

He panicked and fumbled for his flash light…he hated the dark, always did since he was a child, it was his fear of the unknown.

He tugged it out of the belt and clicked it on swiftly shining it around him. He looked around for a heartbeat and then relaxed. Ahead he could hear moaning, meaning someone was around.

They sounded like they were in terrible pain though.

Wearily, Quentin made his way through the dark, the flash light his guide. He was in the reception area from what he could make out, the desk was scorched and blackened, something highly electrical must of struck it, and the computer screens behind it were either cracked or smashed.

Something didn't feel right. As Quentin picked his way around the desk, a monitor suddenly sparked and fell free.

It scared the shit out of him.

As it hit the ground he could have sworn he saw a face on it; a pale skull like face with hateful eyes.

But worst of all was the smirk he thought was on its face, an "I know what's going to happen next" kind of smile.

Quentin shoke the image from his mind, it couldn't of happened. He was hallucinating, but that didn't stop his head from filling with dread.

The moaning sound got louder as Quentin left the reception area and entered a claustrophobic hallway.

"Hello?"

Quentin slowly wandered through the hallway, calling out to the person in need.

"Is anyone there?"

A horrible wailing answered him. Quentin recoiled in horror and pressed his back against the wall. He shone the flashlight into against the opposite wall.

It was a glass wall that showed into a lab with a large white mesa on printed on the glass; however like everything else it was damaged.

The wailing was emerging from within.

Quentin slowly approached the glass wall and shone the light into the room. It was in terrible condition, it looked like it had been abandoned for years.

What chilled Quentin was that a large puddle of dark liquid shone palely in the beam of his light; blood.

Before he could react, something banged on the window. The fright knocked Quentin flat. The flashlight shone on the figure. Quentin slowly brought his eyes to it and screamed.

***

Waters saw the flashlight's beam; somebody was here to help him. He desperately got to his feet, using every once of energy he had in his body.

As he did the pressure on his head suddenly tightened causing Waters to cry out in agony. He approached the light, despite the terrible agony in his stomach and head.

As he reached the glass wall he banged on it. As he reached it his eyesight cleared slightly, but it seamed as if he was looking through a hat.

A security guard lay on the ground infront of him, and was screaming terribly, and he had no idea why.

Waters banged desperately on the glass of the lab while yelling at the top of his lungs.

"HELP ME"

The security guard dropped his flashlight and the beam shone on Waters. He looked down and saw why the security guard was screaming.

Waters began to scream himself.

His body was completely horrifying; his stomach had burst and stretched open with some of his ribcage pointing out of it like teeth.

He glanced at his arms and cried out in disgust; his arms were long, sinewy and bloody and ended in large hideous claws.

He was a monster.

_Prey…_

Something in Waters mind whispered, but it seemed more like an instinct. He drew his arms back and hit the glass with all the force he had, causing it to crack.

He desperately tried to fight the instinct, the demand to attack the guard but he couldn't control himself, whatever it was that had done this to him; it was now controlling him like some sick puppet.

He yelled aloud as he continued to pound the glass.

"RUN"

***

The thing had broken the glass and was advancing towards him. Quentin in terror turned and ran leaving the flashlight where it was.

He never believed in monsters, but that thing was a monster. It was terrifying, and whatever it was now, it used to be human, he could tell by its nametag that read "Waters".

A blobby thing was clamped to its head, it reminded him of a facehugger from the movie alien that he had watched once.

_Is it an alien?_

Quentin glanced behind him; even in the dark he could make it out, the thing was a determined pursuer.

"NURRRR!"

It screamed after him. Quentin suddenly tripped and hit his face of the ground, breaking his nose. Around him he could hear the moans and hungry yells of other creatures.

He tried to get to his feet, but in the dark it was useless.

Desperately he grabbed his Glock handgun and fired blindly behind him. The flash of the muzzle illuminated the hall for a brief heartbeat.

The monsters were everywhere, there was no way he could fight them all.

He was dead.

As blood streamed down his face, Quentin placed the barrel of the gun in his mouth.

_Mum,__ dad…_

Tears welled in his eyes he pulled the trigger.

_Goodbye._

The shot sounded throughout the halls and the flash illuminated the horrors within. The creatures fought and bickered over their meal, though the souls trapped within suffered in silence.


	4. Baptism of Fire

CHAPTER 4 – BAPTISM OF FIRE

He had woken up lying face to face with Rooney, the scientist who had attacked him. Martin's initial reaction was to scream and scramble away from the deceased scientist.

Then the vomit came. Once he started it felt like he couldn't stop. He had never seen a dead body before except at a funeral.

Once he had stopped, he allowed himself a few seconds to calm down and review the events of what just happened in his head.

It seemed so unrealistic, green death beams, screaming, and zombies…and then Freeman.

Martin remembered seeing Freeman take his gun, and then move through the airlock to Sector B, the wrong way to the tram station, which was probably the easiest way out of this place.

But, if a scientist with an MIT education in Theoretical Physics didn't go that way…maybe he had better try to follow Freeman.

He closed Rooney's eyes; it seemed to be the right thing to do.

The guy almost looked asleep, so long as you discounted the back of his skull missing and his lower body looking like something out of a horror movie.

Martin clambered through the airlock, taking care not to get impaled on bits of broken glass. That's when he saw the yellow thing lying on the ground.

It was like nothing he had ever seen before. A dog sized creature that looked like it was cut in half and then given a million eyes where the cut was made.

It was certainly dead, several gunshot wounds weeping yellow blood testified to that. Just in case Martin gave it a curious kick to the head.

He yelped when the thing flinched. It didn't stir however, and he took that to be a good sign.

Breathing deeply Martin slowly turned away.

The corridor he was looked at was dark, the lights had dimmed a lot, but he could still see well enough.

The floor was slick with a mixture of crimson and yellow blood, like some nightmarish form of painting.

What chilled him the most was the lack of human corpses? The amount of blood showed someone had to of died here.

_Do these things eat people?_

Feeling a little disturbed Martin continued down the corridor with his fists raised, for what good it would do him.

Monster versus Martin's fist…

_Stupid._

The corridor branched off into two directions. From the right he could hear gnawing and slight snapping sounds.

_I'll take the left_.

He cautiously rounded the corner, trying to black out the sounds of somebody becoming dinner.

Movement caught his vision and he punched out.

His fist caught a scientist under the left eye and knocked him t the ground with a painful thud.

"Oh shit"

Martin knelt down to see if the guy was okay. He was out cold but otherwise fine.

In different circumstances Martin would have been proud of that punch.

He was about to try and wake the guy up when he heard to sound of hooves on metal. Or at least he thought it was hooves.

A tall hunchbacked brown skinned creature hobbled into view.

It seemed as shocked to see Martin as he was to see it. The thing was ugly though, it reminded Martin slightly of a slug, a slug with limbs and a huge bulbous red eye.

It made sign to attack. Martin liked that. He backed away however to get between the creature and his unconscious partner.

The thing looked like an alien to Martin; it had the look of one of those xenomorph things from Alien.

"Do you come in peace?"

He had no idea why he said it, and knowing irony the thing would probably kill him now for saying that.

The creature recoiled slightly in confusion, and then it rubbed its hands together and began to moan loudly.

Martin could clearly see that the thing had shackles wrapped around its arms and neck which began to glow a sickly green, and that, weirdly, an extra arm poked out from its chest cavity.

Suddenly it slashed it arms toward Martin, and a bolt of green electricity sparked toward him.

He managed to throw himself flat with a barely audible "Fuck" before the beams scorched him.

The creature began to charge up again, intent on killing him. Martin looked for a weapon, something to improve his odds. He grabbed the closest thing to hand, a screwdriver lying beside a toolbox and got to his feet.

Martin screamed and ran at the beast. He pulled off his helmet with one hand and threw it just as the creature prepared to kill him.

The helmet hit the creature and it winced, pulling its aim up and it seared the ceiling. Martin ducked under a clumsy swipe of its claws and plunged the head of the screwdriver through its crimson eye.

Yellow blood splashed from the wound as the creature knocked Martin back. It blindly slashed as it searched for him.

Martin waited until its back was turned to him, then he grabbed the creature and forced it onto the ground where he slammed it face first onto the concrete, causing the screwdriver to burst out the back of its head, showering Martin in blood and chunks of brain.

Breathing heavily, Martin let go of the corpse and sat down. He had just killed a monster with his bear hands. He felt like Mgyver. It was amazing what survival instincts can make a person do.

Then the adrenaline left his system. Martin threw up on the ground beside the creature from the stench. Dizzy, he got to his feet and retreated back toward the scientist coughing as he went.

He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and leaned down beside the scientist. The guy was a think bag of bones with wiry hair. According to his ID tag, his name was Samuel Malone, and he was a clearance 7, which meant access to nearly everything.

Martin was clearance 3, which meant shit all.

He gently slapped the scientist on the face.

"Hey Sam, Sam wake up…come on Sam"

The man slowly began to stir. He opened his eyes and looked at confusion at Martin.

"W-what happened to me, how did I end up on the ground?"

"You…um…ran into the wall here"

Martin tried his best to keep a straight face while saying that.

"I find that hard to believe" grumbled the scientist back.

Martin rubbed the back of neck and then offered his hand to the scientist.

"My names Martin, I'm a security officer"

The scientist took his hand.

"Samuel Malone, glad to meet you"

Martin couldn't help but notice a slight twitch in the scientist's eye as he said it.

"Listen, Sam, this place doesn't seem too safe to be going around in alone, so what do ya say – we might stand a better chance if we team up"

The scientist considered for a moment, he actually seemed rather calm in this situation.

"Um…yes lead the way"

Martin advanced down the corridor toward the corpse of the monster he killed. Maybe there was a way out down there and maybe Freeman.

"Hey, Doc, did you see that guy Freeman down here?"

The scientist looked disinterested.

"Yes infact, the man was down here with a handgun and a crowbar not too long ago, he is determined whatever he's doing"

"A crowbar, are you serious?"

"I'm afraid I am…rather odd don't you think"

Martin shrugged his shoulders and moved on. A small blobby creature fell from one of the ceiling tiles with a shriek.

Martin recognised it as the thing that turned Rooney into a zombie, and how it jumped on him.

"FACECRAB! LOOK OUT" Yelled Martin.

The scientist looked up in interest as the crab leapt at Martin. Martin threw his hands up as it leapt and to his surprise, caught the creature.

It squirmed in his grip, eager to make him a puppet. He dropped the creature on the ground and jumped on it with all his might flattening it.

"Jesus…that was close"

He turned around and saw that Sam was crouched beside the corpse of the big brown thing and was shaking his head. He noticed Martin and said;

"Such a shame, why did you have to be so violent"

"It was going to kill me" Martin replied coldly.

"But why did you have to be so violent…especially to such a beautiful specimen"

Martin was taken aback.

"What?"

The scientist looked at the corpse and let out a sigh.

"The resonance cascade was unfortunate, yes, but the specimens and opportunities it has yielded us are fantastic, like this specimen here. It looks almost like the next stage of human evolution"

Martin seemed unconvinced.

"What exactly happened in the test this morning?"

The scientist didn't meet his gaze.

"this morning there was an incident, the GG-3883 which was used reacted in an unfortunate way with the anti-mass spectrometer, and resulted in the resonance cascade scenario which we are now involved in"

"Stop bullshitting me, what the hell is a resonance cascade, and what are these things?"

The scientist still didn't meet his gaze.

"It's rather evident isn't it; surely you can see that these creatures are from another world, another dimension infact. Xen I believe the lambda team christened it. You see the resonance cascade acted like a magnet, and these creatures are like the pieces of metal, one minute they were pursuing there existence on Xen, the next they were deposited into a world completely alien to them here. The interesting thing is, the anti-mass spectrometer is now acting as a sort of inter-dimensional rift, allowing any creatures left to willingly cross the threshold."

Martin was gob-smacked.

"How do you know all this?"

The scientist smiled wryly to himself.

"I work in the gamma labs in sector F, there are things there that you can not possibly comprehend"

"You're telling me, these things are aliens?"

Finally the scientist met his gaze.

"Yes, I suppose you could call them that, but I'd say residents is a more accurate term now as they seem to have grown accustomed to the facility rather quickly, and I assume it won't be long until they begin to propagate their species"

"What, these things are everywhere!"

"Yes…that's what I said Martin" Replied the scientist with a slight chuckle.

Martin panicked and went to walk past the scientist. Sam moved into his path however.

"Where do you think you're going, as a security officer is your duty to protect me and the facilities interests, like our specimen here…"Enquired the scientist.

"As a father and a husband my duty is to protect my family you twisted fuck, outta my way"

The scientist sadly nodded his head.

"A question Martin, if you find your family what will you do, go to the surface, hope the government will help? Now I know for a fact that an SOS has gone out, but what do you think the government will do, we've seen things they don't want us to see…they will not save us, and even if they do – anyone associated with the project will be either imprisoned or killed…I know it"

"What the fuck are you on about…" Yelled Martin in reply, clenching his fists.

"that will be like signing my death warrant, and these specimens, think of the research we could do – they want to stop it…they want to kill the future Martin"

The man had snapped clearly. He advanced toward Martin and pulled a small handgun out from his lab coat.

"Take it easy, maybe we can talk this through!"

"I'm all through with talking…"

He raised the gun and pulled the trigger.

*****

Brian stood to attention alongside his fellow marines as the lieutenant entered the briefing room. After being stationed at the Santego Military Base in Arizona his men were getting jumpy after four weeks of urban combat training…and their drill instructor Dwight. was supposed to be an absolute asshole.

The lieutenant seemed nervous, which was good – it meant new orders just arrived.

"Gentlemen, I hope your squads have been training to the best of their ability."

A mummer answered him.

"We all know that the Hazardous Environmental Combat Unit hasn't seen any action, well things are about to change. Command just received a distress signal from doctor Rosenburg of the Black Mesa research facility in New Mexico. Apparently some kind of disaster has occurred down there and we're required for some cleanup"

One of the squad leaders near the back shouted out "So babysitting civvies shit"

"No sergeant, make no mistake gentlemen, what we've got is an extremely hostile situation. While there are a numerous amount of civvies in the facility, command has deemed them non-critical."

A large satellite image of the facility appeared on a screen behind him.

"Once on the ground I want several fireteams to secure the train yards, the airfield and the main lobby of the facility. After this we will set up a forward command post and move into the interior of the facility secure several H.V.T's, the details of which are infront of you. All H.V.T's will then be taken to the surface for interrogation. Once additional support has arrived, the entire facility will be searched and all survivors will be…silenced"

"So what kind of action are we looking at?" Inquired Brian.

The lieutenant scratched his head.

"I'm afraid I have no idea, you'll see once on the ground, get your men together, brief them on route, ospreys dust off in 13:00 hours"

As they departed the briefing room, Brian nudged his friend John in the arm.

"I'll see you on the ground, make sure you know which way to point your gun"

John grinned.

"No shit, guess this is our baptism by fire huh?"


	5. Semper Fi

CHAPTER 5 – SEMPER FI

The steady throbbing of the rotors was soothing. It relaxed him, took his mind of what he was going to have to do. Brian glanced around the cabin of the Osprey at his fellow marines; his men, his responsibility.

_Some of them might not make it back alive. _

A formation of V-22 Ospreys flew along side them, each one escorted by an Apache attack helicopter. Brian could see their choppers own escort ahead of them soaring like some magnificent bird of prey. His radio crackled and he listened into the conversation.

"Eagle 10, do you have a view of the D.Z, is drop zone clear over?"

That was the voice of the Osprey's pilot.

"Affirmative Goose 9, all clear, over."

And that was the Apache pilot sounding a bit too confident; Brian didn't like that, if their wingman let them down…

"Standby, E.T.A two minutes, over"

This time the pilot was talking to Brian.

"Two minutes."

He echoed to his squad. Brian stood up from his bench on the helicopter and grabbed a hold of one of the railings that hung overhead.

"Alright, we have an extremely hostile situation people. Once on the ground keep your ass down and your rifle up. We're gonna secure the main lobby area of Black Mesa and then link up with Alpha and Delta teams, understood?"

"Sir Yes sir," was the bellowing response back to him.

"Good…once we rendezvous with and Alpha and Delta we are to apprehend and secure any civilians and escort them back to the surface for interrogation. Now I want masks on, rifles checked and ropes ready. Oorah?"

"Oorah!"

Several men nodded, the others grinned.

"One minute."

Again Brian echoed it. Outside the rocky terrain was beginning to change into open ground and off in the distance a cluster of buildings could be seen.

Brian fumbled on his own PASGT helmet and glanced around the cabin once more at his squad. Philips was glaring out the open hatch of the Osprey, gripping his M249 Squad Automatic Weapon tightly. Morgan was pulling one last drag out of a cigarette before pulling on his gasmask. Twomey was looking anxious, even through his mask, his eyes darting around the cabin. Browne and Kennedy were holding onto the ropes at both hatches, sunlight glaring angrily down on them.

_They looked ready. Hell they were ready._

"30 seconds!"

Brian gestured to a member of the flight crew who opened the loading ramp of the osprey. The sudden gush of air was welcome to the still heat in the cabin. He grabbed a hold of the M240 machine gun mounted on V-22 loading ramp and began to scan the desert floor.

The Osprey slowed down and tilted its nacelles into the vertical position, allowing it to hover.

"Ropes!" Yelled Brian.

Immediately Browne and Kennedy dropped the ropes they held out the hatches.

"Go Go Go!"

They grabbed the rope and took the plunge.

Brian stepped up and grabbed the rope, a chorus of teams on the ground emerging from his radio. He stepped of the deck of the Osprey and wrapped his legs around the rope. As he descended he felt the intense heat off the rope from the friction.

Brian landed into an Ocean of dust, unable to view his squad mates un-slinging his M16A4 rifle he scanned left to right once satisfied he quickly moved and croutched under a low wall.

"Bravo team on the ground!" He barked into his radio before looking behind him to locate his squad.

Over head the Osprey dropped the ropes and tilted its Nacelles before moving off and ending the dust storm.

"Marines on the ground, pulling back, good hunting guys!"

Brian snapped off a quick salute to the pilot and tuned his radio to his squad channel.

"Squad form up on me."

A heartbeat later several armored shapes converged on Brian's position. He made a hand gesture towards the lobby entrance and the soldiers broke cover to reach the doorway.

The heat in the light was glorious; Brian enjoyed it for the briefest moment before he slammed into a Black Mesa S.U.V. for cover.

Something was wrong; this was supposed to be an extremely hostile situation. It was way to quiet. He glanced up and checked that each of his squad mates were also in cover. Twomey watched their six while the others remained on over watch.

"Delta, this is Bravo, are you encountering hostile contact, over?" He muttered into his radio.

"Uh, negative Bravo, all is quiet, no tangos, over."

"Okay, thanks Delta, Bravo out."

Now that couldn't be right could it? Maybe this was an elaborate training mission after all. Swearing under his breath Brian gestured to the doors and once again they got moving.

The windows were darkened out, making it impossible to see into the facility.

_Perfect for an ambush._

Cautiously Brian moved up to the door and grabbed a M84 flash bang grenade from his belt. He nodded to Philips who grabbed the handle.

"One, two, THREE!" He barked and pushed the door open wide enough for Brian to throw the grenade through.

The door slammed shut and both men turned heir backs to it before the loud bang.

Brian kicked the door back open and entered the room, rifle raised. He moved slowly and turned keeping his back to the wall.

"Clear!" He yelled.

His fellow squad mates had already begun their sweep of the room.

"Clear," yelled Browne.

"Hang on; we've got a live one here!" Yelled Morgan. "He's out but he's breathing," he added nudging the groaning man with his foot.

"Get him up and out here now," Brian yelled.

The lobby area was dark, the lights must be out

_Typical. _

"Kennedy, see if you can get the fucking lights back on," Brian groaned.

Kennedy nodded and stalked off in search of a power box.

Morgan grabbed the man by his arm and dragged him out onto the floor in front of Brian. He was wearing a white lab coat from what he could make out in the dim-light. Suddenly the lights overhead sparked on again, momentarily blinding the marines.

"Hey, I think I got it!" Exclaimed Kennedy over the radio.

Now that the whole lobby was visible the marines readied their weapons again, it was much bigger than they had expected.

"Jesus, what the fuck happened here?"

Brian agreed with Twomey, corpses dotted the floor, several missing limbs.

"Think he did it?" Inquired Philips, gesturing toward the scientist.

"Naw man, this one's got teeth marks on it, and they don't look human…" Replied Morgan, kneeling over the corpse closest to them.

"So what, is this some hunt for a wild animal like a bear, or something?"

"Looks like something bigger to me, what do you think sergeant?"

"I think this guy holds the answers," Brian replied.

The effects of the flash bang were beginning to wear off and the scientist was beginning to struggle to his feet. He stumbled blindly for a moment and rubbed his eyes before looking up at Brian. Overjoyed the scientist yelled out,

"Rescued at last, thank God you're here! The facility has gone to hell."

Brian coldly regarded the scientist for a moment.

"What happened here?"

The scientist gulped.

"Well…um, this morning there was an accident in one of the lower labs. And these creatures…aliens I suppose began to appear in the facility and began to kill everyone."

Philips snorted when he heard the word alien.

"Are you serious?" Asked Brian.

"I am afraid I am," replied the scientist, shaking his head.

"What the fuck…that's not possible! I mean…fuck!" Yelled Twomey.

"It is possible, and unfortunately these men behind us died protecting me from one of the larger creatures."

"This is so beyond FUBAR!"

Brian turned to Twomey.

"Shut...the...fuck...up...Twomey."

Brian then turned to the scientist again.

"Who started this mess?"

The scientist seemed concerned.

"They say that it was Gordon Freeman, but he is much too…"

Brian held up his hand.

"You've been must helpful, thank you."

The scientist opened his mouth to speak but the words never left his mouth, Brian raised his rifle and put a round through the mans head. The shot rung about around the lobby and the rest of the marines seemed taken aback but regained their resolve.

"Why…what the hell did you shoot him for sarge, he was a civilian?" Asked Toomey, horrified.

"Our orders are containment Private, that means getting information we need to contain these things and then silencing any witnesses, do you have a problem with that?"

"Uh…no…no sir" Replied Twomey still in shock.

"Let's move out, we've got to meet up with Alpha and Delta, Kennedy, see if you can get J.O.C. to bring up any information on Gordon Freeman."

"Yes sir," came his reply.

As his squad members moved on, Twomey lingered for a moment beside the scientists corpse.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered.

__________________________

That was so based on Black Hawk down, and the factory sequence from GOW. God bless the medium, eh?

Thanks to The amazing chicken Diner and Fabius for the reviews, and apologies for the short chapter, but I hoped you enjoyed it.


	6. Priority Shift

**CHAPTER 6 – PRIORITY SHIFT**

Martin dove to the left to avoid the bullet. While it missed his head, it drove deep into his shoulder. With a bellow of rage and pain Martin slapped the gun out of Malone's hand and followed it up with a left hook to the man's face.

Malone stumbled back gripping his shattered nose; however Martin hit him again, catching him in the stomach. Malone keeled over, spluttering. Martin kicked out with his left foot and Malone fell onto the ground.

He curled up and fixed his wide, bruised eyes on Martin. The security guard snatched the gun off the ground and aimed it at Malone's head. The man made an attempt to speak, though all he did was cough up blood.

"I'm not going to kill you, I'm not a murderer."

Martin spat venomously at the scientist. He lowered the handgun and shot Malone in the knee.

"I'm better than you."

The scientist screamed loudly as Martin turned his back and stumbled down the corridor, tuning the scientist's screams of agony out of his mind. But god, the guy could beat Steven Tyler any day.

Martin had taken ten steps before he registered the pain in his arm. He glanced at the wound and saw that it was weeping blood. Cursing, he checked to see if the bullet had left his arm. It hadn't.

_So this is what its like to get shot…shit. _

Martin tore a piece of his sleeve off and wrapped it around the wound, making a temporary bandage. He would have to wait to find something to remove the bullet.

There was no sign of Freeman, but his handiwork was evident; hacked apart aliens and their innards decorated the steel, featureless corridor.

H_e really did use a crowbar…The guy is either a psycho or a hero…Probably both._

Behind Martin heard a blood curdling howl. He turned and realised that he still had the handgun gripped tightly. While he would preferred to of had someone to watch his back, a handgun made him feel secure for the moment.

Martin was confident that it was Malone who made that sound. While the guy was a dickhead who tried to kill Martin, he didn't deserve to be eaten by one of those things. Well, whatever happened to Malone, it didn't sound pretty.

Ahead was an opening in the corridor and Martin noticed that it was wet, very wet; the floor was saturated with water. The room was a dead end; a large locked steel gate blocked the passage ahead, almost looking smug in the knowledge that it had stopped Martin in his tracks.

_How __does door look smug?_

However there was a small manhole where the water was emerging from.

Through a set of steel bars Martin could see that the room beyond was flooded as well; someone had dropped into the sewer, flooded it, and used it to bypass this locked gate.

Smart…or stupid, Martin couldn't decide which.

"Nothing ventured…nothing gained."

He said aloud before dropping through the manhole. It was deeper than he expected and he sank like a stone. He hit the bottom of the sewer and kicked off it to propel himself through the water.

He swam blindly, searching for an exit. Martin's lungs burned and in desperation he swam up in search of the surface. After a few moments of frantic clawing at the roof of the sewer he found a narrow opening.

He pushed his head up and broke the surface, desperate for oxygen. He gulped deeply and spat out a mouthful of water with a "Blurgh" sound.

_Yeah, that was smoopid. _

He peered around the room his head was in. He had reached the other side…

"Success!"

He bellowed aloud. Martin pulled himself out of the manhole and hissed at the pain in his shoulder from the icy water. The place was deserted, and an eerie silence filled the corridor. The place had way too many corridors, he thought.

Martin felt like a rat in a maze, except rats didn't have to contend with killer aliens, psycho scientists, and the facility falling apart.

Once again the corridor opened up, but this time into a gigantic room. One half was dedicated to a large freight elevator, while the other looked like a loading bay. The elevator was gone. Martin made his way to where it had left and gulped. It was a long way to where it ended.

He turned to face the loading bay, a couple of ladders lead into a dark passage in the ceiling; it was the maintenance tunnel for Sectors B and C that ran under the tram lines. If he remembered the map of sector C correctly, he could enter the maintenance tunnels and make his way to the Sector C dorm tram station from there, and to Sarah and Tim.

Martin grabbed the first rung of the ladder and realised he should of packed a flash light this morning.

_Onwards and Upwards…_

_***_

Brian scanned left and right with his rifle. Nothing stirred; he raised his fist in to the air and rolled his fist twice. Twomey and Kennedy moved up alongside him. He gestured toward a set of doors ahead of them.

"Stack up."

They took their places beside the door and Brian gripped the handle. Kennedy took out a flash bang and pulled the pin. Brian threw open the door and the grenade sailed in. They all turned away and after the bang they piled in.

A tall slug like brown creature stumbled around dazed and Brian put it down with a three round burst. It let out a shrill yell as it died. Kennedy and Twomey dropped several other creatures with disciplined fire.

"All clear!"

Brian pulled out the receiver of his radio while Twomey and Kennedy checked the corpses.

"Bravo 2, this is Bravo 1, have you rendezvous with Delta yet?"

"Affirmative Bravo 2, on route to airfield now."

Browne, Brian's right hand man, had suggested splitting up the squad to make the mission run faster, and as Brian expected, he was correct.

_He'd make a great squad leader someday. _

"Copy that, Bravo 1 is on route to Alpha's position."

"Copy that, Bravo 2 out."

Brian removed his gasmask and took a sip of water out of his canteen. He wiped the sweat from his brow and then fixed the mask back in place; the place could be contaminated with some virus for all he knew.

"Hey sarge!"

It was Kennedy. He nudged one of the aliens with his boot.

"Where do you think these things came from?"

"What, do I look like a fucking scientist to you? Mars or something, I don't care, I just want them dead."

Twomey leaned in close to the corpse of the slug creature.

"Its got chains on it, you think that they're intelligent like us?"

"They ain't smart enough to keep out of my way. Man I'll kill em all!"

Kennedy answered before Brian could get a word in.

"Enough, we gotta keep moving to hook up with Alpha."

His squad mates nodded and reloaded their rifles just like Brian taught them, it was better to keep a set of half loaded clips than to run out of ammo in the middle of a fire fight and load an empty clip into your gun.

Brian nodded towards the corridor ahead.

"Keep an eye out for civvies, you know what to do."

***

His arm hurt like a bitch after climbing up that ladder, he really needed to find a first aid station. Martin crept through the maintenance tunnel, gun in one hand, cigarette lighter in the other.

Sarah had tried to make him give up smoking before this whole fiasco, but he kept a pack and a lighter with him anyway. So long as he returned smelling of menthol she didn't notice.

He was glad to be a smoker for once. He paused occasionally to check the signs on the wall which pointed him towards the sector C dorms.

He didn't bump into any aliens on the way which was good. But it didn't necessarily make him feel safe. It actually made him feel anxious, like he was being watched.

Suddenly the lighter cut out, and the darkness consumed Martin.

"Ah shit…"

Martin began to run blindly in the direction that the last arrow had pointed, praying that he wouldn't become next on the menu for some Face Hugger wanna-be.

Ahead Martin heard shuffling and immediately he raised his gun. He yelled into the gloom;

"Stay back! I have a gun!"

The shuffling stopped.

"Jesus Christ! Don't shoot!"

Martin recognised that voice. It belonged to one of Sarah's friends from Sector C.

"Alma, Alma Teruza? Is that you?"

"Yes, is that you Martin?"

Came the reply. Martin couldn't believe it, finally a friendly face after god knows how long.

"Alma, is Sarah with you?"

"Sarah? Oh God, Martin I think that she's still in there…When those things came I just panicked…I never looked!"

"Hey its okay…just…I'm going to find her."

"Martin that's suicide, those things are everywhere!"

"I noticed, and she's my wife, I have to find her."

Alma stayed silent for a few moments.

"Can I come with you…I don't feel safe, and she is my friend…I shouldn't of…I…I'm sorry Martin."

"Don't worry about it Al, just we've got to hurry, and do you have a flashlight?"

"Oh yes…I turned it off when I heard you in the distance, I wasn't sure if you were one of the good guys."

She turned the flashlight on and shone the beam at Martin.

"My God, Martin! Were you shot?"

"Long story, we gotta get going."

"At least let me clean that wound…"

"Later Al, I'm okay, Sarah might not be."

Martin snatched the flash light off Alma and ran off ahead. Behind him Alma struggled to keep up.

_I'm coming Sarah…I'm coming. _

***

Brian picked his way through the rubble of where his grenade went off. The thing was dead, but he put a round through where its 'face' should have been.

"Big bastard wasn't he?"

Kennedy said, while wiping some of the mucus it had spat at him off his P.C.V.

"Ughhh, this stuff stinks."

"Careful not to get it on your skin or you'll end up like our friend here."

Muttered Brian with a gesture towards a dead scientist with burn marks on his face from where the alien had spat on him.

Kennedy made a stranger sound and began to furiously scrape it with his rifle butt. Brian smirked when his radio squawked.

"Bravo 1, this is command, you requested info on a Doctor Gordon Freeman?"

"Copy that H.Q."

"You have new orders to move to the Sector C dormitories in the basement of the building you are in now. You will rendezvous with fire team Charlie and fox trot. You are then to search the area for any signs of Freeman, recent Intel shows that he was responsible for the incident as you suggested and that building may hold clues to what the S.O.B. is up to next. Understood?"

"Affirmative H.Q., what about that information?"

"Its all below your feet Bravo. Good luck, H.Q. out."

Brian turned to the rest of his team.

"Looks like we got a priority shift…"


	7. Domestic Violence

**Chapter 7 – Domestic violence;**

Buried under god knows how many miles of rock, and stuck in a crumbling facility swarmed with aliens; science team member David Schmitt wondered how much worse it could get.

He had survived the initial echoes of the resonance cascade and was now hiding in the lobby of the sector C dormitories. Word had spread through Black Mesa that the government had arrived to rescue survivors.

All Schmitt had to do was survive.

He and his fellow employees, a security guard named Andrews and another scientist named Bennett were quietly waiting for the rescue team to arrive. Andrews tried to make small talk, but the situation was too morbid right now, fellow co-workers remains littered the hall ways.

His own brother, Fred, was one in those corridors. Fred was killed by small parasitic creature…and then reanimated as something from hell.

Andrews had intervened and put Fred down for the second time. They found Bennett wandering around the cafeteria area searching for other survivors. Across the announcement system they had discovered that the military had taken control of the surface and was coming to save them.

So they made their way to the lobby and erected some barricades; tables and pieces of destroyed furniture.

Suddenly the airlock at the other side of the room began to cycle.

"This is it, rescued at last!"

Bennett yelled as he climbed over his makeshift barricade.

The portal of the airlock opened with a hiss and a squad of heavily armoured marines stepped out. They slowly scanned the room with their rifles and moved in.

"The cavalries here, bout damn time too," Andrews whooped.

"Civilians! Front and centre!"

Barked the fist soldier; a towering brute in a gas mask. Andrews and Bennett approached the soldiers eagerly. Schmitt remained hidden. Bennett shot him a look which Schmitt shrugged off.

"Where is Gordon Freeman?" The soldier asked, his rifle held idly by his side.

"Gordon Freeman? I don't know a Gordon Freeman?" Andrews answered.

"Gordon Freeman, age 27, PhD in theoretical physics, dorm number 309." Replied the soldier coldly.

"Still doesn't ring any bells, now are we gonna get out of here?"

The soldier cocked his head slowly and regarded the security guard coldly.

"How about now?"

The soldier raised his rifle and put a round through Andrews's knee. Andrews collapsed screaming in agony as his leg gave out from under him. A crimson pool began to spread beneath him on the concrete floor.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!" Bennett yelled in horror.

"Where is Gordon Freeman," repeated the soldier.

"I don't know…I don't know what you're talking about," spluttered Andrews through tears of agony.

"Not good enough," regarded the soldier, and he shot the blubbering wretch through the head.

Bennett screamed and scrambled to run away. He made two steps before a three round burst of fire quietened him.

The lead soldier turned to the others.

"Fire team objective foxtrot niner is go."

Schmitt felt his heart racing as the soldiers made their way toward his barricade. He was going to die…killed by the very people his company developed equipment for. Suddenly one of the soldiers let out a loud gasp and they began to look at one another.

They had heard something across the radio, something that apparently shocked even highly trained soldiers.

*

"Come in command, this is fire team Zulu! We've got five men KIA, I repeat KIA!"

"Copy that Zulu, KIA? Over"

"Affirmative command…KIA, fucking bastard Freeman did it. Over"

"Freeman, are you sure? Over"

"Affirmative, bright orange space suit on the bitch over."

"What is your location Zulu? Over"

"Sector D storage facility! The fucker's making a run for the surface; I think I can cut him off…"

A large bust of gunfire cut across the radio.

"Zulu, come in. Come in Zulu!"

Kennedy let out a yelp. The rest of the squad turned to face each other.

"Motherfucker… Zulu, that's Mike's squad" Whispered Twomey.

Brian closed his eyes and said a quiet prayer for the men who lost their lives.

"Squad quiet down," he said at last.

They all stared at him, while he felt like an asshole, it had to be done; they had a job to do, even if Freeman was someplace else. That was the difference between an NCO and a CO. An NCO knew what his men were going through and it was an NCO's job to keep the men in line, but at the same time turn a blind eye when it was needed.

"Sergeant, movement!"

Brian quickly spun to see a shaggy haired scientist make a run down the corridor. Morgan fired a burst after the man.

The scientist yelped as one of the rounds penetrated his shoulder in a cloud of blood. The shot spun him around to face the soldiers.

Brian dropped the man with a burst to the torso. The scientist screamed as he hit the ground and cradled his wounds while the marines surrounded him.

Philips removed his gasmask and spat at the scientist.

"Look at my face!"

The scientist shuddered and turned away.

"Look at me fucker!"

Philips kicked the scientist hard in the ribs. He yelled and looked Philips in the face. What he saw shocked him into silence.

"You're a fucking murderer!"

"Stop it! That guys innocent!" Yelled Twomey.

"Stay the fuck out of this Twoms, these guys are fucking freaks!"

The scientist tried to look away but Philips kicked him again and again. The rest of the squad turned their backs to the violence, but they couldn't tune out Philips rage.

"MURDERER!"

The scientist moaned and tried to crawl away. Philips continued to lash out and finally began to kick the scientist's face.

"Those were good men, you fucking killed them!"

"No," the dying man wailed.

Philips finally crushed the scientist's skull from the blows, and the floor was now slick with blood as was Philips' uniform. After several moments he rejoined his squad mates.

"Philips, you okay buddy?" Enquired Browne.

Philips fixed his PAGST helmet back on.

"Yeah…let's just get this son of a bitch." He finally muttered.

"Hell yeah, lets move…next stop, room 309," Whispered Brian.

*

By the time Martin reached the top of the ladder he felt as if his arm was falling off. Malone had definitely left his mark.

He bent down and offered Alma his good hand; well Martin was chivalrous after all.

Alma politely declined and pointed out that Martin needed first aid or he was going to pass out from blood loss.

"Alma, we have to keep moving!"

"Martin it will take two minutes just let me stop the bleeding at least!"

Reluctantly he agreed. Alma made him lye down on the ground, and tore his make do bandage off. She examined the wound and bit her bottom lip.

"Well the good news is you won't die… But the bullet is still wedged in the wound."

Martin sighed; "I guess this is gonna hurt…"

Alma smiled weakly and leaned in close to his face.

"You'll feel a little pinch…now."

Alma pushed the bullet out as Martin howled.

"Jeez, I felt better before that!"

"Lighten up Martin, it didn't hurt that much." She replied.

The wound was bleeding again but Alma tore a piece of her lab coat and made a much more impressive looking bandage than Martin could manage.

She finally reached into her lab coat and pulled out a small syringe.

"I took some of these from the first aid station before I bumped into you. It should numb the pain."

She flicked the needle and some fluid seeped out. Gently, she turned Martin's head and then stabbed the needle into his jugular.

Martin hissed in pain before the cooling euphoria of the morphine kicked in. He felt indestructible.

"All right, we better move, but jeez, that did sting like a bitch."

Martin tried to get to his feet but Alma was still leaning over him. She was staring deeply into his eyes. Her bright blue eyes danced with unseen passion.

"Al?"

"Hmmm?" She purred.

"Alma, we've gotta move!"

She snapped out of her day dream.

"Right, sorry Martin…lets, let's go."

She climbed off him and turned her head in embarrassment. Martin was confused.

_What the hell just happened?_

Martin shook his head and walked on, Alma following silently behind.

They had entered the tram station through a maintenance hatch which opened right beside the airlock to the dormitories.

And the airlock was open.

Martin took a peek into the security guard booth; the glass was shattered and the security guard was lying face down in a puddle of his own blood.

Alma leaned in to take a look when Martin held her back.

"Nothing you want to see there, Al."

She nodded, her short blond hair bobbing with her head.

They entered the airlock and Alma hit the switch. It cycled and hissed air at the two of them.

"WEL…COME…DOCTOR…TERUZA…AND…OFF…ICER…THOMP…SON." The automated voice groaned.

Behind them through the doors, Martin thought he heard a tram arrive at the station.

_That can't be right? The rails are destroyed._

The doors ahead of them clanged open.

"Whoa…" Martin turned away as the door opened; the amount of violence evident in the lobby area was horrific.

"My god…" Whispered Alma.

Martin slowly walked forward as did Alma; however she made her way over to one of the corpses.

"No…Andrews…" She began to weep as she bent down and closed the frightened eyes of the former security guard.

A cough from the right caused Martin to jump. Alma glanced over and moved toward the sound. She gasped when she reached it.

"Bennett?" She whispered.

"Alma…get out of here…its…not safe…"

"Bennett, save you're energy, its okay."

Martin glanced down and saw that he had been shot three times in the stomach and chest area. It was amazing that he was still alive.

"Who did this to you? Can these things use guns?" Martin questioned.

Bennett coughed weakly.

"No…the…military…they're…killing…scientists."

Martin turned and rubbed his face as his eyes began to tear up.

_No…this can't be true._

The military arriving was the one bit of hope that he was clinging too apart from finding Sarah. And now the military were killing them. Martin became blinded by rage; he approached a wall and made a move to strike it before stopping and rubbing his hairline.

"What the FUCK!" He bellowed at last.

Alma face went pale. She chewed her bottom lip as she cradled Bennett's head. Bennett whispered something to Alma and she nodded. Alma gently placed his head back down and closed his eyes.

"Martin…we should…oh god, I just can't believe this."

Martin turned to face her, tears streamed from their eyes. She collapsed into his arms sobbing uncontrollably. Martin returned the embrace.

"Sshhhh…Al, its okay. We've got to move before they return here."

"Its not fair Martin, why does this have to happen to us?"

He squeezed her tightly.

"I dunno Al. But we have to survive this."

He let her go and dried his eyes.

"Come on, let's go."

*

Frank Lynton ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Frank was a peaceful sort of man, who could never hurt another human being.

That was why his wife left him. A bunch of doped up crack heads had broken into their home in Phoenix and had held his wife hostage as they stole their possessions. Frank had a gun pointed at them, and in the end didn't go through with it.

He could still hear their laughter as they made off with his car and his wife's jewellery. That was why he became a security guard. He thought that nobody would steal from him again now that he had a gun.

And now foolishly friendly Frank was being chased through the dormitories by a group of soldiers. He had run after deciding that he couldn't pull a gun on a group of US marines, even if they did murder his best friend.

Frank tripped through the corridor toward the cafeteria. If he got to the cafeteria he could get into the air ventilation system and he would be safe from then. The soldiers behind him fired volley after volley at him.

One round clipped his thigh and he tripped. Gritting his teeth against the pain Frank forced himself back to his feet. A fire door lay in front of him. He punched the glass case beside it and an alarm blared.

The door began to seal and Frank limped inside it. It had closed half way by the time the soldiers caught up.

Frank laughed triumphantly until a small rounded piece of metal rolled through the door and landed at his feet; a grenade.

"Oh sh…"

The blast flung Frank back into the door's path. His back was shredded by the shrapnel and he couldn't move.

He could only scream as the blast door crushed down on his torso, splitting him in two.

*

SURRENDER FREEMEN

It was spray painted on the wall above yet another executed employee.

"Do they mean Freeman?" Inquired Alma.

"I guess so…" Replied Martin. "Seems a little excessive…"

Alma shrugged and turned her head against the scene. They had arrived at the entrance to the dorms proper.

Martin drew his sidearm and led the way. He descended the staircase slowly and took a quick glance around the corner. It was all clear.

Martin told Alma to stay put and cautiously advanced toward his room. It was unnervingly quiet.

His vision shot back to Alma, and then back to the hallway. And he came face to mandible with one of the slug aliens. Martin raised the gun in panic and shot it clean through the eye.

Alma peaked around the corner.

"You okay!" She yelled.

Martin gave her a thumbs up, "Yeah…just forgot about the aliens…"

She nodded and retreated back around the corner.

Martin reached his door and found that it had been blown off its hinges. Heart in mouth Martin entered the room expecting the worse.

The room was torn apart, the wardrobes smashed and the bed shot up.

Sarah wasn't here.

Martin screamed aloud in rage, the soldiers took her. Martin stormed into the bathroom and punched the tiled wall until his knuckles began to weep blood.

_Why could life be so cruel? Why to me, I've never done anything wrong in my life._

"Martin."

Martin spun to face Alma, she was holding a note.

"Look at this," Alma stated.

Martin's hand trembled as he held the small post it.

**Martin I've gone to surface with David. Don't worry Tim and I are safe. Meet you on surface. Be careful. I love you, Sarah. **

Martin dropped the note. He smiled weakly, "She's safe Al, and now I'm going to get us out of here."

Alma smiled,

"Thank god, Martin, thank god."

Martin led the way again with gun drawn. They entered the small relaxation area between the dwellings when Martin caught sight of movement. He raised the handgun to shoot when he realised it was another scientist.

"Hey!" Martin called out.

The scientist turned viciously to face Martin and Alma.

"Francis? Is that you?" Asked Alma.

The man nodded.

"What are you doing here, we've got to get out of here." She told him.

"You think I don't know that!" He snapped at her.

Before Alma or Martin could reply the man began to rant.

"Oh god, we're all going to die down here. The military's trying to kill us, it doesn't make any sense…to kill us…I'm just a scientist! I don't know anything…I…I only have access to level 3 security, this is absurd! I'm going to die in this forsaken hellhole with the likes of you! You're all idiots! We should never of allowed for that additional sampling of nuclear tide in to the medium core…its simple chemistry! Am I the only one who went to collage here? I can't die yet! Its not my time…oh god its not my time, I'm thirty four years old…I haven't lived yet, oh god how I haven't lived…the snows of Tibet, the sunsets of Jamaica; I'll never see any of it! I'll be stuck looking at dialled vessels and beakers for the rest of my miserable existence! God…I don't want to die!"

"You won't die if you stick with us!" Alma yelled almost frantically.

"No! No… I can't trust you!" He spat. Alma approached him and he lashed out punching her in the jaw. She fell with a curse and Francis ran out the corridor raving incoherently.

Martin helped Alma up. Her jaw was bruised but ultimately she was unhurt.

"Dickhead," she managed to say at last.

"Agreed, lets get after him before he has every soldier in the god damned place after us," Martin replied.

"A bit late for that don't you think," came a cold voice from behind them.

Martin slowly spun in cold terror to face a soldier. The soldier was a tall brute, clad in urban camouflage and wearing a gasmask. He held a very scary looking gun in his hands.

"I shouldn't need any back up for this," said the marine with a slight menacing chuckle.

"Please! We don't know anything," pleaded Alma.

"Sure…" Came the soldier's response. He raised his rifle and aimed it at Martin.

Martin was quicker however and he shot the soldier. He fell and dropped the rifle but quickly got back to his feet with a snarl. Martin fired at the soldier another two times but the soldier continued on unfazed with his wounds.

He grabbed Martin and delivered a savage head but. Dazed Martin fell back, in time to receive a boot to the face.

Martin rolled to avoid the next kick but the soldier gave him a powerful punch to the stomach. Martin could feel what was left in his stomach emptying over his uniform.

The soldier grabbed Martin and began to strangle him, crushing Martin's neck between his massive hands. Desperately Martin scraped at the soldier's leg, eventually grabbing the soldiers knife.

Before the soldier could react Martin pushed the blade into the soldier's thigh.

The soldier backed off briefly, granting Martin enough time to get back to his feet and began to search for a gun. The soldier wrenched the knife out of his leg and ran at Martin with it.

_Where is the gun! Jesus I'm going to die!_

The soldier slashed with the knife and it sliced off his nametag and became stuck in Martin's Kevlar vest. Before he could yank it back out Martin spear tackled the soldier onto the ground and punched the soldier in the face.

Martin felt a bone snap, and it wasn't the soldier's…

Martin yelled in pain but continued to hit the soldier to no effect. The soldier laughed at him and delivered a savage knee to Martin's crotch.

Martin fell back gasping while the soldier pinned him by placing a boot on his neck.

"You never had a chance buddy," the soldier growled.

"Fuck you asshole," shouted Alma.

She had the rifle in her hand; she pulled the trigger and fired wildly at the soldier. While it wasn't accurate, the amount of projectiles finally took him down.

"About…about damn time," Martin whimpered.

"I thought you had it under control," Alma replied.

"Ha fucking ha, got another one of those syringes."

Alma frowned; "Not now, you'll overdose."

Martin swore and gingerly got to his feet. The soldier's body was still heaving; the guy was still alive. Martin and Alma approached him. Blood pooled around the soldier from dozens of puncture holes on his body.

Alma raised the gun to put him out of his misery, but Martin raised his hand.

"He doesn't deserve sympathy."

Martin leaned down to the soldier and examined him. On his arm was a stitched on emblem which showed an eagle surrounded by lightning bolts. It read;

**HECU**

"What do you think it means?" Asked Alma.

"Harmful eddie can't urinate?"

"Hazardous…environmental…combat…unit," wheezed the soldier.

Martin leaned in and looked at the soldier's nametag, Kennedy. Behind the gasmask Kennedy's eyes were full of pure hatred.

He took pride in killing civilians.

_Sick son of a bitch._

"Kennedy come in, this is Bravo 1, what's you're status," squawked the soldier's radio.

"Don't answer," whispered Alma.

The soldier chuckled.

"We've got hostiles!" He yelled into the radio.

"Damn, run!" Yelled Martin.

Martin and Alma ran down the corridor behind them they could hear the soldiers giving chase. They were running in the direction of the cafeteria. Maybe they could barricade themselves in there.

A fire door blocked their path, a pair of severed legs dangling out from it.

"Don't dwell on it, keep going!"

"Where, Martin?"

Martin spun and looked at the sign on the wall; they could make it to the library.

"Common the library, run!"

Martin broke the door to the library open and they rushed inside. Martin pushed over a vending machine at the door and grabbed the rifle from Alma.

"Stay hidden," he whispered to her.

Outside they could hear someone approaching.

*

John and Alpha team patrolled the cafeteria, they had put down several scientists when they entered and were now securing the hallways beside it. So far the gig sucked, where was the combat?

"Come in command, this is Alpha, half way through sweep of area 3, heavy civilian presence, no sign of target."

"Affirmative Alpha, continue your sweep."

John removed his gasmask and fumbled for a cigarette in his webbing when he heard a sound like stressed metal from above him.

He glanced up with the cigarette hanging from the edge of his mouth. The vent cover above him suddenly collapsed and something fell on him. The force knocked John flat and winded him.

It was a woman in a weird looking suit of armour that landed on him, and she was followed by another. John gasped for air as he got to his feet.

"Shit, we've got hostiles!" He finally managed to splutter.

He wasn't quick enough however; the women took down two of his four man team. John raised his rifle and fired a burst at the nearest, a woman in a red suit. The bullets all hit her centre mass but seemed to have no effect.

She turned to face him and raised her .357 magnum.

"Fuck."

*

Martin had the rifle raised and as soon as the door opened he fired a burst.

"Jesus!" Yelled a female voice.

Martin lowered the rifle and leaned out of his cover. A pair of female scientists in H.E.V. suits approached them, one in tan and one in red.

The one in tan looked over at Martin and muttered, "Have you got the access codes to get into the Satellite delivery building."

"Uh, yeah, I can get you into the basement of the building." He replied.

"Good, right, my name is Gina; lady grey over there is Colette,"

Colette gave Gina a frown and turned to Martin.

"Don't mind her; she's just bitter over what happened this morning. You're name is?"

"Martin Thompson and this is Alma Teruza."

Alma gave a short wave.

"Right let's get going, we'll go to the tram station at this side of the building."

Alma and Martin followed the two female warriors toward the tram station. Gina and Colette seemed like the most unlikely pair in the world; they despised each other.

They reached the airlock to leave the building when the soldiers caught up to them. The first soldier that came into view was taken down by Colette's magnum, the shot knocking him flat.

Gina pushed Martin into the airlock, with Colette bringing up the rear and pushing Alma, the amount of gunfire was deafening.

One of the marines threw a grenade at the group and Gina grabbed it. She threw it back but she took slightly too long.

The grenade exploded midair and knocked Alma and Colette flat. Colette was on her feet quicker than Alma. The soldiers were advancing slowly with more of them arriving.

"Colette get in here!" Roared Gina.

Alma was getting to her feet when a bullet hit her in the knee. She fell with a scream and Martin ran back to get to her.

"No! Forget her!" Yelled Gina.

"Martin! Help me!" Screamed Alma.

More gunfire struck the ground around her, and another round hit her in the arm. Gina hit the button and the door began to close.

"Its too late for her, hot the button," Colette muttered.

"NO! Alma!"

Cried Martin, He rushed forward and grabbed her hand before it was too late; the door was almost closed.

"I love you Martin…" Sobbed Alma, "Let go,"

Martin kept his hand there.

"I made you a promise Alma!"

"I love you Martin," She repeated, and she tore her arm away from his.

Then the door sealed shut with a clang.

"I loved you too."

So…Chapter 7 of SI has finally arrived. Apology for the delay, but it is the longest chapter in the story so far, and the one I enjoyed writing the most. I hope you enjoyed it, and it wasn't a complete pain to read.

Trying to combine this with the level of the same name from "Decay" was fun and I enjoyed Gina and Colette's characters. And I do think that this chapter was a personal best for introducing and killing off characters :P

And I did toy with the idea of Martin having an affair, and it did kind of end up in the story. But yeah…think what you want about it.

R&R as always please!


	8. The final stretch

disclaimer; I do not own Half-Life.

so the final chapter of survival instinct. I'm a little disappointed with the reviews but thanks to anyone who did read it, and especially to The amazing chicken diner for reviewing. This one's for you man :-) All I can say is that I hope this chapter gives a sense of closure.

**Chapter 8 - ****The final stretch;**

Black mesa had become a war-zone. US forces controlled the topside areas of the facility, but were taking heavier losses than originally expected; the aliens ambushed and slaughtered troops in the lower levels of the facility, prompting the military to abandon them.

Black Mesa personnel, still reeling from the shock of their own government betraying them, desperately hung on to whatever hope they could salvage and fought tooth and nail against their would be killers.

Martin Thompson was one of these individuals… He had fought, bled and killed to escape this tomb, and he was damned if they were going to stop him.

The mood in the tram was solemn, everyone knew what lay ahead. Gina sat upfront peering out at the carnage around the tram lines, it seemed some people gave up hope and electrocuted themselves on the rails.

Martin sat quietly in the corner of the tram, resting his beaten and broken face on his rifle. He would never forgive himself for leaving Alma behind. No one could.

Colette gave a concerned look his way and wearily smiled. She was on the verge of a nervous breakdown…they all were.

The tram slowly chugged along the lonesome pitch black catacombs of the transit system, towards most likely their graves.

Martin closed his eyes again and promised himself that he would escape this and make the story known…the public will know the horrors that happened here.

The tram finally slowed and halted at a station platform and the door opened as the automated voice hissed static at them.

Gina glanced around at them both and checked her safety.

"Ready?"

The two of them nodded and the trio left the tram as it chugged around the corner, busy following some pre-scripted route.

"Remember Thompson, we need you to reboot the system to reset the locks," Stated Colette.

"I know," He paused… "I won't let you down."

She smiled at him again and they forced their way into the basement, with Colette watching their entrance. Martin approached the security door, ready to do his task.

"Shit," He swore "I don't have my tag…that soldier must of knocked it off…I can't get through this door!"

Gina approached the security door and smashed the panel with the butt of her gun. The door slid open happily.

"Hurry the fuck up," she ushered.

Martin rushed in, searching for the over right switch. The room was a mess, a maze of units of cables and wires. After abut thirty seconds of frantic searching with his hands in the darkness he found it.

He needed to enter in the code for this sector before the lock would open and the switch could be used. He entered the code when something hit him in the back of the head. It hit him with the force of a brick. Martin stumbled over finding that what hit him was attached to the back of his head…and was slimy.

A few good tugs and he pulled it off; revealing it was one of the head crab things… It squirmed in his grip and bit him on the hand. He yelped and dropped it on the floor where it scuttled away.

He glanced around, scanning for the diminutive parasite. Satisfied that he scared it away he flicked the switch. The lights outside dimmed and the backup generators could be heard humming.

Martin headed towards the door when the head crab attacked him again. This time it latched onto his shoulder and dug its claws into his torso. It hissed and spat as he punched it in what he assumed what its head was.

The sounds of gunfire began to filter in through the door, meaning that the soldiers knew something was up.

The headcrab dislodged its fangs in Martin's shoulder before he crushed it to death with his fist. He winced in pain and limped up to the open doorway. The lights flickered back on as the backup generator reached full power.

It was go time.

Gina and Colette had ambushed and efficiently took care of a quartet of soldiers who had rushed down the stairs to see what had happened.

Words weren't exchanged, the trio headed up stairs towards the surface.

*

The tang of medicine and copper filled the air along with men's agonised screams. The impromptu medical centre was receiving more and more soldiers as the day went on, the conflict was heating up. Brian removed his mask as he approached one of the operating tables.

A medic operating on the man glanced up at the senior soldier and shook his head before leaving the wounded soldier and sergeant alone.

"I'm sorry sir," Wheezed the wounded marine.

Brian clasped the soldier's hand. It was obvious he wasn't going to survive; his fatigues were slick with blood and he was unearthly pale.

"No… You did good son…I'm the one who's sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Sarge…its okay, just…just… don't let my family…don't let them know what I did, what we did…"

Brian regarded the dying marine. His heart was broken at the fact that such a man, such a soldier was brought so low.

"Don't worry about it son…you'll be remembered as a hero."

The soldier laughed, but ended up just gurgling and wheezing.

"Hero…" He finally managed to splutter.

He coughed violently again and finally grew silent. Brian bowed his head and said a silent prayer before tugging the soldier's dog tags and closing his eyes.

"Rest in peace Kennedy… we'll get the son of a bitch who did this to you, we'll get them all."

"Bravo leader come in"

Brian sighed heavily before transmitting back.

"Go ahead command."

"We have new orders for you. Intel suggests that the Eggheads are planning on launching a rocket."

Brian stiffened.

"Are we taking about a nuke?"

"We don't know what the hell it is. It's just imperative it doesn't get launched. An Osprey is on route to your position, ETA two minutes."

"Copy that command, we'll get it done."

*

"Down!"

Martin instantly threw himself flat as did Colette, instinctively trusting Gina's warning. Sure enough Martin felt something incredibly hot singe the hairs on his neck as it passed through where he was standing moments ago.

Gina was first up and downed the creature with blast of gunfire before ducked beneath the claws of another and giving it a thwack on the side of the head with the butt of her gun. It stumbling in agony until Colette's Magnum put it down for good.

"These things…are pissing me off," sighed Colette.

"Deal with it," snapped Gina as she continued up the staircase. She was greeted with a hail of bullets as she entered and quickly ducked back out of the doorway with a string of curses.

Colette and Martin caught up to her in time for a grenade to land with a chink at their feet. Martin reacted first kicking the bomb back out the door with a loud grunt.

"Oh fuck m…"

The soldiers weren't as fast; a satisfying explosion took care of their resistance.

"Nice…nice work," panted Gina.

Martin sniffed and nodded approvingly. The trio picked their way into the remains of the room… Burnt metal and pieces of meat where the soldiers had been moments before.

_I think I'm gonna hurl._

He turned his head away from the slaughter and towards where Gina and Colette were going, another staircase.

"Who the hell…puts a radio station, up twenty flights of fucking stairs," he gasped out of breath.

"Grow a pair tough guy," snapped Gina. Now she was really beginning to piss him off. Colette chuckled slightly and kept pace with Martin ushering him forward. Hopefully this next door led outside and not into yet another featureless cement room.

He was met with a blast of fresh air and intense heat as he reached the final step, it containing an emergency exit.

"Oh shit," Martin's jaw dropped as he entered into the sunlight.

The military dominated the surface…utterly. As if the emphasise the point, a trio of jets screamed overhead making Martin's ears ache.

"Oh man, oh man, we're fucked…we're fucked," Colette's reaction was almost repeated by Martin before Gina shushed them.

As the crouched behind a railing, Gina scanned the route ahead.

"Okay… a shit-load of soldiers below us on the runway…but I can see the entrance to the Radio station. We just need a distraction."

"Remind me why we are doing this?" Martin inquired.

"To secure the Air-Traffic Control Centre, and then proceed to enter the all-clear codes and lift the military air-traffic lockdown," replied Colette without taking her eyes off a distant patrol of soldiers.

"And so we have to get from here, to all the way over there…through about fifty soldiers?"

Gina frowned at Martin.

"Listen you don't have to come if you don't want to."

"Great…that suits me fine," Martin hissed coldly. That made Colette spin around to face him.

"You're just abandoning us, after we save your life?"

"Listen, I've got a wife and a kid here, I've gotta find them, and I don't think I can do that very well if I'm full of holes."

"So you're just going to turn your back on us and the rest of the people here? What about everyone who died?"

"What about me? Sarah and Tim are the only things that are keeping me going in this hell-hole, maybe I should go with you, and maybe I should save the fucking world, but I'm not doing my job as a husband and a father."

Colette's face turned red with rage, as she opened her mouth to yell at him a loud racket emerged from below where the military were.

"There's our opening," whispered Gina.

Sure enough the soldiers were running about wildly yelling, and pointing at the direction of one of the hangers.

"What I'm worried about is what those guys are running from," exclaimed Martin, and then they saw it. A towering blue tinted monster, at least three times as tall as the soldiers.

One or two halted to shoot at him confident in their weaponry. The beast paid them no heed as it continued on a direct path, smashing through the few emplacements that the military had created.

The same brave souls then threw grenades at the gargantuan monster. They exploded and the soldiers cheered before the smoke cleared. Then the beast continued on pausing only to crush the soldiers to pulp.

"And how the FUCK are we supposed to get past that thing!" Colette moaned, causing several Marines to glance in their direction; however the advancing monster kept them under moving.

One marine gestured frantically at the monster while barking orders at a man with a radio microphone, the beast reduced them to ribbons but Martin knew they'd made a difference; the sound of jet engines proved that.

Two F22 Raptors screamed overhead like a clap of thunder and dropped their payload on the beast, the explosion throwing Martin painfully on the ground.

When he got back to his feet Gina and Colette were gone. Gingerly peeking over the railing he saw them dash by the smoking craters where the Gargantuan beast was moments ago. Several moaning marines staggered about clutching their heads after the blast and were put down with a burst of gunfire.

And then they were gone. The last Martin heard of the two brave Warrior women were shouts of encouragement and bursts of gunfire.

He said a silent prayer for them before climbing the small wall behind him. The reservoir, his and Sarah's old make out spot was less than a mile away. He was so close.

"Don't worry Sarah, I'm coming."

*

Distant sounds of gunfire and flashes ruined the atmosphere. If one would stare at the night sky, you could think that there wasn't any fighting, any killing. It was peaceful.

"There…hostile spotted," whispered the icy voice of Browne.

"Bam …gott'em," replied Morgan with a savage laugh.

The poor security guard didn't know where they were coming from, now he lay dying in his own blood. Twomey wanted to get sick, and run away or curl up and die; anything to get away from this…nightmare.

"Echo team, in position?" Questioned Brian is a hushed voice.

"Affirmative, you flush out any contacts, we'll smoke'em," replied the Echo team sniper.

Brian nodded approvingly and gestured his squad forward. They were cautiously advancing along the ridge above the launch centre; the silo was just below them and the control room, a buzz of frantic activity was just beyond it.

Security was light; they had taken out three guards around the perimeter, none raised the alarm. Once one of those head-crabs nearly latched onto Morgan but Twomey blasted it out of the air.

This was too easy.

"Philips, move up," ordered Brian.

No-one stirred.

"Where the fuck is Philips?"

His men all looked around and shrugged.

"I can't fucking believe this. We lost a man and no-one notices?"

Then Brian's radio squawked, he pointed an angry finger at his squad, "Maintain lookout," and they took up position along the ridge. Finally he opened the channel.

"Bravo leader here."

"Sergeant… I'm sorry but I have to do this," it was Philips.

"I swear to god the almighty soldier, if you don't have a good fucking explanation for this I will shove my boot so far up your ass you'll be tasting leather for the rest of your life!"

"No offence sir but shut the foxtrot up. I'm doing something you should have done, for Kennedy."

"Start making sense trooper, I'm warning you!"

"I'm going to kill the bastard that did this. Martin Thompson."

Philips closed the channel but before he did Brian heard a gunshot and a woman's scream.

_What have I done?_

Brian stood silently for a moment before tearing off his PAGST helmet and throwing it away. He ran a hand over his sweat slicked buzz cut.

The sun was setting over New Mexico and the cool night air came as a refreshing relief to Brian.

He slowly turned to his squad and slung his rifle over his shoulder. His frown encouraged his squad to stay quiet while he opened his radio channel again.

"Command come in, this is Bravo leader."

"Affirmative Bravo, go ahead."

"We've a marine gone AWOL, Corporal Dwayne Philips."

A sigh emerged from the other end of the radio.

"Affirmative, units will be advised to shoot on sight, mission Zero-Niner?"

"Roger that, zero-Niner is a go."

"Get it done sergeant."

The channel closed and Brian let go of his earpiece.

"Browne, give me that shotty," Brian ordered.

Browne seemed hesitant to part with his SPAS-12, he'd grown an attachment to the weapon he'd dubbed Betty.

"Now soldier," growled Brian and Browne obliged, handing the weapon over as gently as if it was his own child.

"Let's go waste these fuckers."

Brian was the first one down the embankment, the dust staining his khaki combats brown, the squad followed but he was always leading.

A set of double doors stood as the entrance to the control centre.

No sentries, a bad decision.

The doors opened automatically and he bounded up the staircase that followed them, "Betty" raised. The next door opened after a quick jab to the control console, the security guard behind it didn't have time to register what happened before Brian vaporised his head with a blast from the SPAS.

The second guard down the corridor reached for his pistol but Brian fired again, blowing off the guards legs. He screamed as he fell, his leg cart wheeling out from under him in a spray of viscera.

The scientists in the computer room next to him started screaming in terror, several dropped to the fatal position, others frantically worked hard at what they were doing.

It made no difference, they were all going to die, and Brian planned on enjoying this.

*

Martin sprinted along the large hydroelectric dam as shots pockmarked the ground around him, head down he just kept running. A Helicopter and a patrol of Marines were hot on his heels.

The helicopter overhead strafed him as he ran but a quick roll saved his ass. It hovered lazily away before turning back to hit to unload at him again.

He couldn't keep this up. It was bad enough he'd had to avoid military patrols and frequent clashes between aforementioned patrols and gangs of aliens.

_Although, those were kind of amusing to watch, like the time when the bullsquid thing ate the guy's gun and…__ I'M GOING TO DIE._

As the helicopter prepared to unleash its chain guns of ultimate destruction again Martin dived and slid along his belly towards a road off the dam. He fell short of cover and was now stuck in the open.

"Ah fuck!"

But the helicopter didn't shoot; it passed overhead following something else, and much more alien. A large Wood Louse like creature flew overhead without first ejecting something out onto the ground in front of Martin.

Knowing it couldn't be good he decided to run as far away from that egg thing as he could. He climbed from the road up the stone cut steps in the Mesa as the helicopter released a flurry of rockets at the Wood Louse.

Below him he heard the egg hatch and surprise the patrol that followed... It didn't sound pleasant. All that mattered now was getting to Sarah, and getting the hell out of here. Their spot was just ahead, sheltered from view, but it allowed the sunset to peer in over the dam giving the most romantic reflection off the water.

That's how Tim came to be, and Martin couldn't help but smile at the memory.

Martin approached the rock pile that sheltered it, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Sarah? Sarah, its Martin!"

He rounded the rocks and his heart went cold. David lay dead on the ground, shot through the head, and there above him holding his wife captive was a soldier. Tim was on the ground crying beside David.

"Expecting something else Fuckhead?" The marine hissed coldly.

*

"Get those charges rigged; we don't want anyone else launching that rocket. Twomey, Browne, inside, keep watch from there," Brian strode around the chaos; a chorus of Oorah's answered his orders, and he allowed a smirk to cross his features.

They'd done it again, proven they were the best.

"Bravo leader come in."

Brian fingered his ear piece.

"Go ahead."

"This is Echo team, we've got eyes on."

"Runners?"

"Negative…it's Freeman."

Brian's blood boiled, Gordon Freeman, the man who killed so many of his friends, the guy who caused all of this mess.

"We'll be right there," Brian answered, no reply from echo sent a shiver down his spine.

"Morgan, with me, now!"

Brian and Morgan moved quickly, Morgan holding Brian's M141 as if it was someone's spine in his hands.

"What's this about sarge?" Panted Morgan.

"Freeman…he's here," growled Brian.

The double doors out to the silo opened automatically, Morgan and Brian advanced cautiously out the doors.

"See anything?" whispered Brian.

"Negat…Contact!"

Before Morgan could squeeze of a burst of fire, Freeman dropped him with a volley from his own machine gun.

"It's just you and me Fucker! Come get some," screamed Brian as he blasted "Betty" at the HEV clad scientist.

Freeman was too fast, avoiding the blasts and following up with one of his own. Brian fell clutching at his chest as he gurgled blood. He slumped onto the ground screaming, Freeman approached him cautiously and looked into Brian's eyes.

He recoiled in horror and disgust at the rage and hatred contained in Brian's face, and dropped a grenade into Brian's hand before moving on.

Brian didn't even have the strength to pull the pin himself. He just sat there, feeling his blood pool out of him and the darkness claim him.

Brian let out one last bellow of defiance before he stopped breathing.

*

Twomey recoiled in disgust at the damage and slaughter his fellow soldiers had done. Blood stained the walls, mutilated bodies lined the corridors.

This wasn't what he signed up for. This is terrorism.

He turned to Browne who was having a drag on his cigarette; completely unfazed by what happened.

"How can you stand there and ignore all of this," Twomey enquired.

Browne took a puff before answering.

"Because, this is what out country needs us to do."

"We're killing civilians!"

"And how many more will die if these guys launch a nuke, or escape from here infected with some shit!"

"That's bullshit and you know it. These people can help us contain the aliens, but instead we're here killing them!"

Browne's eyes narrowed.

"That's beginning to sound mighty close to treason if you ask me Twom's," he growled.

"Well fuck it, I didn't sign on for this shit, monsters sure, but civilians? Who the hell ordered this operation anyway?"

Browne then raised his M141, Twomey in reply raised his, he wasn't going to kill innocent civilians, and if Browne was, that made him no better than the aliens.

"Twomey move!" Brown yelled.

Twomey turned his head in time to see a crowbar flash out of the darkness and hit him in the face. He fell screaming as it continued to dig into his face, before the attacker pulled it out.

Browne didn't fare much better, he got two shots off at their attacker, a man in a bright orange HEV suit before he too fell.

Twomey's thoughts drifted back to that girl in the airlock. The one he'd tried to save, Alma…He should have done more, and he could have done more. He saw her there bleeding out, pleading. Then his vision came back, he gasped for air and turned his head to see Freeman typing on a console frantically.

Freeman looked over to Twomey, he wasn't a killer, this whole thing was as alien to him as it was to Twomey.

They were two kindred spirits. Trapped in something neither of them could escape except through death…and Freeman had set Twomey free.

Twomey mouthed "Thank you" and then he died.

*

"You bastard…let her go!" Martin hissed at the soldier.

"Me…you're the bastard. You killed good men, you killed my best friend," the soldier spat back.

"Oh that's rich…you're the one killing innocent civilians, now let her go now, before I kill you."

The soldier chuckled.

"You know, the desert eagle is such a powerful handgun, you should see what it does to a human head."

The soldier made the gesture of an explosion, Sarah sobbed beneath his vice like grip.

"You son of bitch," snarled Martin, and with that he dove at the soldier, crashing into him with a football tackle. His gun went off as the two of them collided and plummeted off the ridge into the water below.

The water was icy cold and the suddenness of their decent knocked the air out of Martin. He continued to grapple with the soldier, his hands wrapped around the man's neck.

They breached the surface and both gasped for air, before the soldier wrapped an arm around Martins windpipe and pushed him below the surface.

Martin struggled to break free as his lungs compressed. Then he caught sight of something in the water; they weren't alone. It was a large muddy coloured fish, but it was ignoring them, Martin only hoped it would continue to.

Martin bit the soldiers arm causing his grip to loosen for a moment, which was all the time Martin needed. He surface again gulping down the air and he delivered a jab to the soldier's nose, breaking it and dropping blood into the water.

Martin recoiled in horror as he caught sight of a top fin breaking the surface. He began to splash away from the soldier who grabbed on to Martin's leg. He kicked out desperately trying to get as far away from the doomed man as possible.

The fish reared up behind the soldier, and it was monstrous, colossal teeth crushed down on the soldier's waist and he roared in agony. It plunged into the water again dragging him down with it.

The soldier maintained his grip on Martin's foot and he too was pulled down with the soldier. They plunged below the surface, toward some underwater lair the creature had. Martin desperately pulled at the soldier's fingers eventually managing to break them.

Amazingly the man was still alive and he tried to scream as the beast continued to bite down on him. Martin felt his lungs burn as he paddled for the surface. The pain was agonising and every stroke he made felt like his last.

_I have not, come this far to die now._

He couldn't give up…he wouldn't. Martin breached the surface and coughed the water out of his lungs. A couple of deep breaths and the re-emergence of the top fin got him out of the water.

He fell on the bank and just lay there. All the agony from the day he'd spent catching up on him now. He was done.

His hands ached, his shoulder was numb and countless cuts and burns marked his body. Eventually he pulled him self to his feet and limped up the bank to the ridge. It was cold now, the sun had set, and his wounds ached more than ever before.

He made it back to the rock pile and fell to his knees. Sarah was dead. The soldier had shot her before they plunged. Martin screamed and punched the ground in frustration.

"Oh no…no no no… oh please? Why?"

Martin's eyes watered and he cried. He let out long angry tearful sobs while holding his wife.

"I'm so sorry Sarah, I'm so sorry…I tried to save you."

He raised his head and screamed again before closing Sarah's eyes and kissing her one last time.

"I tried Sarah…I really did."

Martin sniffed and reached for the handgun the soldier dropped. Tim cried beside him but Martin ignored his cries for attention.

"I'm so sorry baby…but I'll see you soon."

Martin raised the gun to his head and pulled the trigger.


End file.
